Updated 11:51pm 15 February 2012:

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Diane Parkes

Diane Parkes

Sewing Cafe culture in Birmingham with an itch to stitch

Needlework needed a new image – and seamstress Sheila-May Green had an idea brewing. Diane Parkes finds out why her cafe club is oh-sew special.Read

The very best of wildlife through a lens

Diane Parkes looks at the stunning Wildlife Photographer of the Year entriesRead

Bishop of Birmingham on why the King James Bible was so important

The Bishop of Birmingham tells Diane Parkes why the King James Bible remains a cornerstone of our culture and society 400 years after it was first published.Read

Movie and music experience Polar comes to Birmingham

Diane Parkes speaks to a environmental film-maker about close encounters with inquisitive bears and a walrus – and the pressing need to protect a precious ecosystem from global warming. Read

When Charles Dickens brought his Christmas show to Birmingham

Charles Dickens insisted one of his sold-out 1853 readings in Birmingham should be for the working classes. Diane Parkes looks at how the great author kept his audience spellbound.Read

Skate champion Robin Cousins finds a new lease of life on stage

Diane Parkes speaks to a champion skater who is enjoying life in the spotlight again. Read

Luxe Bridal offers something old for vintage weddings

A pair of entrepreneurs are taking their love of classic styles to a new market, writes Diane ParkesRead

International Dance Festival is bold move for Birmingham

All eyes will fall on Birmingham next year as the city again hosts its renowned International Dance Festival, writes Diane Parkes.Read

Park Lane Garden Centre sowing seeds of hope in Aston

Park Lane Garden Centre in Aston may look like any ordinary nursery from the road but inside its poly tunnels people who have suffered from anxiety or depression are growing a new life.Read

Birmingham Hippodrome launches £1m Stage Appeal

Birmingham's biggest theatre is asking people to dig deep into their pockets and support a £1 million appeal to fund a new stage.Read

The past, present and future of dance at the DancXchange

Artistic director of Birmingham’s DanceXchange, David Massingham, has much to be proud of since it was revitalised with a move to the Hippodrome a decade ago, writes Diane Parkes.Read

BRB principal Robert Parker to be new artistic director at Elmhurst

Birmingham Royal Ballet principal Robert Parker has been named as the new artistic director of Elmhurst School for Dance.Read

Getting to the heart of the Big Issue in homeless photography exhibition

A new photographic exhibition challenges the public to see past the stereotype of homeless people and discover the reality beneath. Diane Parkes reports.Read

Healing the scars of war as Dot May Dunn returns to 1950s Aston

The deprivation of a post-war Birmingham suburb has been captured in a new book. Diane Parkes spoke to author Dot May Dunn.Read

Wartime child evacuees Barry and Harry still best mates after 60 years

A national campaign for a memorial to the three million children evacuated during the Second World War is under way. Diane Parkes meets two West Midlands pensioners supporting the initiative. Read

Andrew Killeen is leaving a print with Moseley LitFest

Diane Parkes talks to an author on a mission to help others publish their work.Read

Tom Chambers is tripping the light fantastic

Former Holby City and Strictly star Tom Chambers tells Diane Parkes about his new stage role.Read

Review: Carlos Acosta Premieres Plus, at Birmingham Hippodrome

Royal Ballet principal Carlos Acosta is becoming a familiar face in Birmingham and this time he was joined by fellow principal Zenaida Yanowsky in Premieres Plus, a series of short dance pieces.Read

Review: Swan Lake, by Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe, at Birmingham Hippodrome

What would Tchaikovsky have made of this Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China’s interpretation of his classic ballet Swan Lake?Read

My stolen childhood in a Japanese prison camp

Joyce Storey tells Diane Parkes how three gruelling years as a wartime prisoner haunted her for decades after.Read

Author Profile

Diane Parkes has worked in journalism for 14 years and has been with the Birmingham Mail for ten. She is Women's Editor covering health, fitness, education, fashion and beauty features. As Dance and Theatre Editor she is also responsible for professional arts coverage across the region.